March of Dimes’ research programs address the multi-faceted nature of the U.S. maternal and infant health crisis through diversified funding that supports discovery, translational and social science research, and data collection and analysis. These investments help bring discoveries from laboratories to clinical settings to speed the development of lifesaving diagnostics and treatments for moms and babies.

We have 4 priority research areas to advance understanding of maternal and infant health:

Diagnostic biological markers

Maternal microbiome and immune factors

Social and environmental drivers of health

Maternal comorbidities

Our funding supports:

Prematurity Research Centers (PRCs): Our 5 PRCs help advance understanding of preterm birth and develop diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

• 1. Imperial College, London
• 2. University of Pennsylvania
• 3. California Collaborative (Stanford University and the University of California San Francisco)
• 4. Chicago-Northwestern-Duke
• 5. Ohio Collaborative (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Case Western Reserve and Vanderbilt University)

For research investigators interested in the study data from our PRCs, visit this prematurity research database.

Research grants: Supporting actionable science focused on early stages of pregnancy and neonatal development, preterm birth causes and interventions, and diagnostics and therapeutics for pregnancy and infant health.

COVID-19 research: We’re currently funding 2 COVID-19 research grantees evaluating the virus’ impact on moms and babies. The grants were made possible by donations to the March of Dimes COVID-19 Intervention and Support Fund.

Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Award: A program supporting early-career scientists embarking in careers as independent researchers.

Awards: Recognizing outstanding scientific achievements to prevent birth defects, preterm birth and infant and maternal mortality.

• Agnes Higgins Award in Maternal Fetal Nutrition
• Richard B. Johnston, Jr., MD Prize in Developmental Biology